Dr. Jim Piper is an inaugural member of the Pitt-Bradford baseball program, as the team began competition during his sophomore year. While he and his teammates were trailblazers for the Panther Athletics and the baseball programs, his impact following the completion of his playing career surpassed those of his time at Pitt-Bradford.

In Dr. Piper’s sophomore year, Pitt-Bradford introduced its baseball program under the direction of now Athletic Director Bret Butler. Piper played two seasons for Butler, as an infielder.

“Piper was one of our core players when we got started, he hit in the three-hole and played shortstop for us,” said Butler. “He was one of our hardest workers, and I know he still is, because you don’t accomplish the things he has accomplished without hard work and perseverance,” he added.

In the program’s first season, the Panthers posted a 7-18, record, but were able to double that in 1999-00, winning 14 games. While the Panthers would go on to win the AMCC title in the next two seasons, Piper would not be with them as he matriculated to the main campus in Pittsburgh, where he went on to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh School Of Dental Medicine after his junior year.

“I have many memories from my days with the baseball team, but the one that stands out was getting a big win over Penn State in my last game before entering dental school,” said Piper as he reminisced on his college career. 

After finishing his coursework, Piper joined the US Air Force Dental Corps in 2004. He was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where he completed his residency in prosthodontics, a branch of the field dedicated to restoring and replacing teeth.

Piper completed his residency in 2007 and took a position mentoring recent graduates and trained them to perform advanced dental techniques. He was named the Air Force’s Dental Educator of the Year in 2009. 

In 2011, Piper returned to Lackland to study maxillofacial prosthetics. With this secondary course of study, Piper went on to work with the military where he became the assistant director of maxillofacial prosthetics at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. In this position, Piper rebuilt eyes, ears and noses for wounded warriors, military retirees and dependents with conditions such as oral cancer.

When asked about his collegiate experience and how it helped his professional life, Piper said, “We had a coaching staff that was second to none, and the leadership skills that were instilled in us as college athletes were invaluable to me as I moved through my professional career.”

Piper resigned his Air Force commission in 2015, and joined a dental practice in Ferguson, NC, where he currently works and lives with his family.

The Distinguished Alumni Series is part of the AMCC's 25th anniversary where the conference will be recognizing former AMCC student-athletes who have excelled in their area of study. The Distinguished Alumni Series will run every Thursday throughout the academic year.